Longhorns S Caden Sterns "Ready To Get To Work" After Broncos Selection
Another former Texas Longhorns starter officially had his name called in the 2021 NFL Draft on Saturday afternoon, when safety Caden Sterns was selected by the Denver Broncos With No. 152 Pick
With his name called, Sterns becomes the fourth Longhorn taken in this year's draft, following his former teammates Joseph Ossai, Samuel Cosmi, and Ta'Quon Graham were selected on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
"There was a lot of relief. I’ve put so much time into this, and I’m going to keep that chip on my shoulder, but more than anything I’m grateful that I’m going to a great team," Sterns said. "I’m going to be there with P.J. Locke who’s someone who can teach me the way, and also I’m there with Justin Simmons who’s one of the top safeties in the league, so I’m excited."
Denver now adds Sterns to a secondary in need of depth at the safety position, though his immediate future on the field likely resides in the special teams department, barring injury to the top-end starters.
READ MORE: Cincinnati Bengals Select Longhorns DE Joseph Ossai With No. 69 Pick in NFL Draft
"It’s dope to go to Denver," Sterns said. "I’ve always talked about that I’ve never been to Colorado, but always wanted to go and live there. I love the mountains and nature, so to go there just in that aspect is cool within itself, but to go to such a great organization that has such a strong line of safeties, it’s awesome."
Ending an up-and-down career with the Longhorns, Sterns elected to turn pro this past season following the departure of former head coach Tom Herman and former defensive coordinator Chris Ash at the end of the 2020 season.
During his time with the program, Sterns battled injuries throughout most of his career, missing multiple games in each of his seasons on the 40 Acres.
When he was healthy, however, Sterns showed why he was considered one of the most talented safeties in the country, and at his pro-day in Austin, his measurables bore that out as well, running a 4.41 40-yard dash and jumping a 42-inch vertical leap, with a 1008 broad jump, a 4.13 shuttle, a 2.47 20 split and a 1.5 10 split -- each and every one of which was considered an elite measurable heading into the draft.
"I feel really prepared," Sterns said. I’m just going to go in and work, that’s all I know, and that’s from my time at Texas."
You can view NFLDraftBible.com's full scouting report of Sterns below:
READ MORE: Washington Football Team Selects Longhorns OT Samuel Cosmi With No. 51 Pick in NFL Draft
With Sterns now on his way to the next level, the Longhorns will be heading in a new direction at the safety position, where Jerrin Thompson and Brendan Schooler seem to be the favorites to start on the back end.
Finally, 100-percent healthy, Sterns begins a new path of his own in the NFL, where he hopes to regain the status that he occupied early on in his career with the Texas defense -- a difference-maker.
"It’s just a blessing," Sterns said. "I know where I’m going to be and I’m ready to get to work, and that’s as simply as I can put it."
With prototypical size, speed and instincts, Sterns was one of the premier safety prospects in college football when healthy.
A true gamer with a high football IQ, Sterns flashes high-school track-star speed on the field, along with excellent read and react/recovery skills; his ability to mirror is as good as it gets.
He also owns legitimate NFL bloodlines, as he is the brother of Jordan Sterns (Chiefs). Flashback to his freshman year for the Longhorns and it would not have taken much convincing to imagine Sterns as one of the premier defensive prospects in the 2021 draft.
Fast forward two years and we’re left wondering what went wrong. After recording four interceptions as a true freshman, Sterns recorded only one in his final two seasons combined. As smooth as he can look in coverage, the lack of turnovers forced highlights his inadequacies in the run game.
Sterns has put an astounding amount of missed tackles on film, showing both subpar technique and power profile to last near the line of scrimmage. There are still tools to work with, but Sterns is a tough sell as a starting option anytime soon until the tackling issues are remedied.
CONTINUE READING: Longhorns Miss On First-Round NFL Draft Selection Once Again
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